I’m a victim of prejudice says sacked BNP bouncer

DANIEL SANDERSON

A PROMINENT member of the British National Party has complained of being a victim of discrimination after saying he lost his job at a gay nightclub when bosses found out about his political beliefs.

David Orr, who is step-brother of singer KT Tunstall is one of the most prominent Scottish members of the far-right organisation and holds the position of Scottish organiser within the party.

He says management at CC Blooms, one of the Capital’s most popular gay venues, were pleased with his work as head doorman – but abruptly sent him packing after just a week when his political affiliation came to light.

Mr Orr, who has also worked as a doorman at The Three Sisters in Cowgate and the GHQ gay bar in the Capital’s pink quarter, said: “I was going to get my team running, the owner was really happy, then everything went wrong.

“I got a phone call telling me not to come back because I’m part of the BNP. I was gutted, I’d really been looking forward to it and it’s been cruelly taken away.

“I’m not a criminal. I’m not homophobic at all. I know what people think about the BNP but I don’t see what relevance it has to my job. I’m there for a wage, not to push forward my beliefs. I’m good at my job. I treat all of the customers with courtesy and respect.

“I always kept everything away from work. Now I’ve come out of the closet, so to speak, I’ve been surprised by how much support I’ve had. A lot of gay people have said to me it doesn’t matter about politics. I think it’s discrimination.”

Earlier this year Mr Orr faced criticism from within his own party after the BNP were unable to field any candidates in Scottish council elections because he missed the date for registrations.

Mr Orr, a father of one who has been a doorman for two and a half years, said he works for the AIS agency which provides door staff to CC Blooms.

He says he never raised his political beliefs with any staff or customers, nor his celebrity step-sister.

Mr Orr’s father, also called David Orr, is married to the mother of Brit Award winning singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, and stood as a BNP candidate for Livingston at the 2010 general election.

Although Tunstall’s Hong Kong-born mother Carol-Ann Orr, gave her up for adoption days after she was born, the pair reunited in 1996.

But the Fife musician publicly disowned Mr Orr Senior after learning of his political beliefs, with a spokesperson saying she “abhors” the BNP. And Mr Orr, of West Lothian, who has been a BNP member for eight years and says he is particularly keen on the party’s policies on immigration and Europe, says relations with his step-sister have been similarly frosty following the revelations.

“As far as me and my dad are concerned she doesn’t have much to do with us,” he said. “Before she was famous we used to go and watch her, and when she was going all over the world we would keep in touch by phone and text.

“It wasn’t until it all came out that people started judging. Katie never really expressed a view on politics. It never came up.

“The biggest thing I regret is that the relationship between Katie and my step-mum was soured. We felt our political beliefs had affected a mother-daughter relationship.”

CC Blooms refused to comment, saying it did not wish to discuss staff or contractors. No one from the AIS agency could be contacted for comment.